Panda Management Company, Inc. (PMC), based in Southern California, has grown dynamically ever since 1983 when it opened its first Panda Express, its most successful operation. As that name suggests, Panda Express units are fast-service Chinese restaurants, now found in over 34 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Japan. Altogether, PMC manages over 300 Panda Express Restaurants, six Panda Inn Restaurants, eight Hibachi-San Restaurants, and seven Panda Panda locations. Panda Inns, the first of which opened in 1973, are all located in Southern California, as are the Panda Pandas, upscale, gourmet Chinese food restaurants. The Hibachi-San Restaurants, featuring Japanese cuisine, are located in shopping mall food courts, about half of which are at select sites outside California. The much more ubiquitous Panda Express Restaurants are located in five basic operating environments: mall food courts; supermarkets and retail chains; shopping centers and key intersections; university and college campuses; and airports, casinos, and sports arenas.

Bring a large quantity of water to a boil; cook the noodles as you would any pasta, around 5 minutes or until done. Drain, run under cold water to stop cooking, drain again and toss with 1 teaspoon of the peanut oil. Set aside.

Heat 2 to 3 cups of oil in a wok until hot but not smoking, and add the bean curd. Turn gently in the oil and fry until golden. Remove the bean curd with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.

Add the peanuts to the same oil and stir gently for 10 seconds, turn off the heat and allow the peanuts to sit until they are light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels. When cool, remove and gently chop 1/4 cup, set aside. Reserve the oil.

In a clean wok, heat 4 tablespoons of the reserved oil. As it’s heating, add the chili peppers and cook over a medium heat until they blacken and smoke. Quickly turn the heat to high, add scallion whites, and cook, stirring, 5 seconds. Add the garlic and sauce mixture and cook until bubbling hot.

Add the noodles and cook until well coated with the sauce. Add the fried tofu and stir. Splash in the tofu, add most of the 3/4 cup whole peanuts, turn off heat and stir in cilantro and spinach. Sprinkle the reserved chopped peanuts on top and serve. Serves 4.

NOTE: You may use roasted peanuts for this dish. You may use either 2 cups of cilantro or 2 cups of spinach, also, depending on your preference.